How’s your attitude?
Because the connection between the mind and body is so strong, an overall positive attitude can decrease stress and enable you to live a healthier, happy life. Attitudes can impact mental health and physical functioning, relationships and success. Having a positive attitude may help you accept and adapt to change with less resistance and be more apt to learn from mistakes and seek out better opportunities. Approaching change with a negative attitude can lead to apprehension, strain and stress, leaving you overwhelmed and more susceptible to a sense of failure and possibly depression.
• Do you have a positive attitude? Take this test.
• Are you optimistic, easygoing or extroverted?
• Are you willing to learn no matter how difficult it is?
• Do you laugh a lot or have a sense of humor?
• Do you express emotions rather than bottle them up?
• Do you do your best and try to improve?
• Do you demonstrate enthusiasm in whatever you say or do?
• Do you welcome challenges, experiments or try new ideas? A positive attitude can be helpful throughout your lifespan. We live in a society that tends to have a negative stereotype on aging. Aging has been associated with senility, crankiness and frailty. Turn that stereotype around by looking at aging as being accomplished and wise. A positive attitude can enable not only you, but those around you, to continue to be productive members of society with a sense of purpose.
So how do you develop a positive attitude? Be confident, positive and patient. Be a hard worker and goal setter. Be fun — don’t take yourself, or others, too seriously. Be accepting of change.
According to Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the creator of positive psychology, everybody has a right to be happy. Seligman also believes that happiness helps to provide a sense of purpose in life because it is something we can create and nurture. The Pursuit of Happiness organization has identified seven habits of happy people.
Happy people: Build close relationships. Care for others. Engage in healthy, active lifestyles. Embrace spirituality. Practice positive thinking. Embrace a hobby or activity. Identify strengths.
Everyone can have a bad day. But, in general, a positive attitude and a happy outlook on life can help you pull through those challenging days. This upbeat, proactive outlook on life can, overtime, contribute to better health and longevity (adapted from “Keys to Embracing Aging: Attitude is Everything, Be Positive”)
For more information on “Keys to Embracing Aging,” call the Garland County Extension Office at 623-6841, email Jessica at jvincent@ uaex.edu, or visit http://www.uaex.edu.
EHC
Interested in joining an Extension Homemakers Club? Call 623
6841 or email jvincent@uaex.edu.
Master Gardeners
If interested in becoming a Master Gardener, the public is welcome to attend their monthly meeting at 1 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Lake Valley Church, 910 Shady Grove Road; call the Extension office; or email abates@uaex.edu.
4-H
There are 4-H clubs for Garland County youths 5 to 19 years old. For information, call the Extension Office or email Linda Bates at lbates@uaex.edu.